1908-S 25C MS(PCGS#5652)

March 2020 Baltimore U.S. Coins Auction

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

7122

Grade

MS68

Price

16,800

Lot Description

Finest Known 1908-S Barber Quarter The Eliasberg-Pogue Specimen 1908-S Barber Quarter. MS-68 (PCGS). Here is a magnificent Superb Gem with champagne-pink toning in the centers changing to lovely powder blue and golden-olive iridescence around the peripheries. The aesthetic quality of this coin cannot be overstated, and combined with the high numerical grade creates an incredibly desirable coin. It is the single finest certified at PCGS, with none graded finer than MS-67 at NGC. It is undoubtedly the finest known. In a series replete with challenging mintmarked issues, the 1908-S stands out due to its mintage of 784,000 pieces. Like most San Francisco Mint issues of this type, the 1908-S saw extensive circulation that resulted in the loss of most examples or becoming well worn from decades of commercial use. David Lawrence (1994) describes the 1908-S as, "One of my favorite dates....Never stays in stock - trouble-free coins of any grade sell immediately. Undervalued in most mint state grades. Even though gems are no bargain compared with some other dates, you should not let one go." For the Eliasberg-Pogue specimen offered here, this is especially true as it could very well be a once in a lifetime opportunity for advanced Barber quarter enthusiasts. We recommended very strong bids if you are hoping to secure this beautiful and highly significant rarity. Estimate: $15,000 - $20,000. Provenance: From our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of the Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, April 1997, lot 1597; Heritage's FUN Signature Sale of January 2005, lot 4151. PCGS Population: 1; 0 finer. There are no examples of this issue certified finer than MS-67 at NGC. PCGS# 5652. NGC ID: 23ZF. Click here for certification details from PCGS.